Convertible chair



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. 1 J. H. BATTON.

CONVERTIBLE CHAIR. No. 331,111. Patented Nov. 24,1885.

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N0. 331,111. Patented Nov. 24. 1885..

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(N0 Mode11) 5 Sheets-Sheet 3. J. H. BATTON. CONVERTIBLE-CHAIR.

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Patented Nov. 24, 1885.

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(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 5.

J. H. BATTON. CONVERTIBLE GHAIR.

No. 331,111. Patented Nov. 24, 1885.

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JOHN HANSUL BATTon, or sELMA, ALABAMA.

CONVERTIBLE CHAIR.

SQPEGIPICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 331,111, dated November 24:, 1885.

Application filed July 1, 1885. Serial No. 170,356.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN H. BATTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Selma, in the county of Dallas and State of Alabama, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Convertible Chairs; and I do hereby declarethe following to be a full, clear, and

exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The object of my invention is to produce a convertible chair with aswing adjunct thereto, said chair being conveniently adj usted,so as to be used either as a stationary, rocking, rolling, or swinging seat or support for a person in either a recumbent or sitting posture.

The invention consists, first, in certain novel means for converting a chair from one style to another, said means being applied upon the frame of the chair; second, in a seat with hinged back and leg and foot rest, provided with a folding cushion or covering, pivoted head-bars,and an adjusting-cord for unfolding the covering so as to form a head-rest, said cord and bars also serving for folding the covering when the chair is not used for reclining upon.

.It also consists in a novel removable jointed chair seat, back, and leg and foot rest, in combi nation with a swing adjunct,whereby the seat, back, and leg and foot rest can be lifted from the chair-frame, so that the chair-frame can be removed, and the person on the seat may be swung or can swing himself; and it also consists in certain constructions and combinations, as will be hereinafter described and specifically claimed.

My improved chair is specially useful for invalids, and it will afford great comfort and relief in this wise: An invalid having occupied for some time a given posture while the chair is in a fixed or firm position, he can change the chair so as to rock himself by simply depressing a lever and converting the chair into a rocker, or he can, by raising said lever,change from a rocker into a roller chair, and the same be rolled from place to place; and in either of the three conditions of the chair the back, leg and foot-rest, and head rest can be adjusted so as to permit the occupant to recline to any extent desired; and,

(No model.)

should it be desired, the chair can be rolled over to the swing adjunct, its seat released, hooked to the swingropes, and raised off the chair-frame, so that said frame may be moved out of the way while the occupant of the seat is swinging himself.

In the drawings,Figure 1 is a vertical section of my improved chair as adjusted for use in a fixed condition. Fig. 1 is a detail sectional view thereof, and Fig. 2 is a perspective View of a portion of the chair-frame with back-stop bar and releasing-lever of said bar. Fig. 3 is a side view of the chair-frame and its converting mechanism in the same position as in Fig. 1. Fig. 4: is a side elevation of Fig. 3, showing the chair-frame adjusted to run on its rollers. Fig. 5 is a perspective View of Fig. 3,with portions broken away,showing the chairframe adjusted as a rocker. Fig. 6 is a detail perspective sectional view showing the supporting-base, cross bar, and portions of the rocker with the joint-plate. Fig. 7 is a modification of the adj usting-lever and latching bar. Fig. 8 is a sectional View of the chair uncovered or not upholstered, and with a portion of its frame broken away, showing the chair as adjusted for a person in a reclining position, and also showing the manner in which the head-rest bars are adjusted by the action of the cord. Fig. 9 is a perspective View of a portion of the back of the chair as it appears before it is covered, and of the two head-bars which form the head-rest when a padded covering is on the frame of the back. Fig. 10 is a modification of the upper guide ends of the side bars of the framing of the back. Fig. 11 is a perspective view of a portion of one of the crossbars of the converting-frame, with a caster and its fastening-plate on a larger scale than in the other figures. Fig. 12 is a side elevation of the chair and its swing adjunct as they appear when the chair seat, back, and leg and foot rest are discon: nectedlfrom the chair-frame and the seat has been raised high enough to admit of the frame being rolled from under it. Fig. 13 is a perspective view of the swing adjunct of the chair as adjusted for being hooked to the chair, and Fig. 14 is a broken perspective View of Fig. 13 as adjusted when the chair-seat is raised to the position shown in Fig. 12.

A in the drawings indicates a chair-frame comprising in this instance four legs, a, and suitable side and cross pieces, a of. This frame may be of any suitable form and ornamental construction desired, and the number of cross.- pieces may be changed as circumstances require or taste may dictate. On the lower ends of the legs jointed rockers B are jointed and pivoted, as indicated at b. The joint 0 of the respective rockers is formed by making one piece of the rockerwith an outward suitablycurved end and the other piece with an inward correspondingly-curved end, and coupling the pieces by an inverted-T-shaped plate, d, which is pivoted at d, as shown in Figs. 1 and 6.

Across the frame of the chair a purchase bridge-bar, O, is applied so as to rest near its ends upon the floor, and thereby sustain the weight upon the chair when the chair is used as shown in Fig. 1, and into angular notches at the ends of this barthe rockers are fitted loosely, while the bar and rockers are coupled loosely by means of pivots, as d The joint 0 of the rocker and the joint-connections at b are such that the chair-frame can be adjusted so as to be caused to rest firmly upon the floor or upon rollers or upon its rockers, as illustrated in the drawings.

To the center of the bridge-bar O a vertical standard, D, is jointed and pivoted, as indicated at e, and diagonally from this standard four arms, E, extend to and connect by means of slots and pins at f with front and rear vertically-moving cross-bars, F, which are fitted by tenons into oblong slots 9 of the chairframe. The arms E are fulcrumed by coupling-loops g to bars a of the chair-frame and have their inner ends rounded and fitted in struction and the slots and pins at f the arms E, with the standard D and bridge-bar O, are,

enabled to move up and down for the purpose of converting the chair into the various forms required.

On the bars F casters G are applied, their headed shanks or pivot-stems being passed up through the bars through round holes in slotted plates h, which plates, by being slid a short distance upon the bars and fastened by screws, couple the casters to the bars, so that their headed ends cannot descend, as will be fully understood from the drawings. To the upper flattened end of the standard D a lever, G,which should be flexible, is pivoted, as indicated at '5, and said lever is connected to a rolling fulcrum-bar, H, which has its journal ends fitted in loops or bearings j of cross-bars a. of the chair-frame, as shown.

Near the free end of the lever G a curved stop-bar, I, is applied on an upright of the chair-frame, and when the lever is moved down under this stop-bar, as in Fig. 5, the chair will have its parts adjusted so as to form a rocker. When above the stop bar, as in Fig. 4, the chair will have its parts adjusted so as to form a roller-chair, and when midway between the top and bottom of the stop-bar,

as in Fig. 3,,the chair will have its parts adjusted so as to form a structure which will rest firmly or squarely upon the floor. It will be seen that the depression by the hand of the lever causes the standard D to descend and carry with it the inner ends of the arms E, the bridge base-bar (J, and the joints 0 of the rockers, and as this takes place the outer ends of the arms are caused to force up the crossbars F, carrying the casters G, and the front and rear ends of the rockersto rise higher than they'stand in Fig. 1-that is, to assume the position shown in Fig. 5. By releasing the lever and adjusting it to a point about midway of the upper and lower ends of the stopbar the standard will be raised and caused to lift the inner ends of the arms E, bridge-bar O, and joints 0 of the rockers, and simultaneously to lower the outer ends of the arms, and bars F, with casters, as illustrated in Figs. 1

and 3, and by raising the lever to the top of the stop'bar I the standard, bridge-bar, inner ends of the arms, and the rockers will be raised, while the outer ends of the arms, the crossbars, and casters will be caused to descend, so as to have the chair rest entirely upon the casters, as illustrated in Fig. 4.

Instead of having the lever and stop-bar formed as shown in Fig. 5, the modified form shown in Fig.7 ,or any other suitable construction, may be adopted. In Fig.7 the lever is provided with a sliding finishing-sleeve, It, with solid end, and in this sleeve a spring, is, is applied, being fastened by one of its ends to the end of the lever G and by its other end to the solid end. On the sleeve a catch-pin, 7c", is provided, and this pin is designed to catch into one or the other of a series of holes in a stop-bar, k when the hand is withdrawn from the solid end of the sleeve. By pressing against the solid end of the sleeve the spring can be compressed and the catch-pin withdrawn from the holes of the stop-bar.

The seat J of the chair is provided with a' back, J, which is jointed to it by a hingerod, Z, having its journal ends Z fitted in halfboxes Z of the chair-frame, and said seat and back are confined upon the chair-frame by I IO hooks m m, those mfitting around the journal ends Z of the hinge-rod Z, while those in take into a staple, M, as will be fully understood from an inspection of the drawings. By this manner of connecting the seat and back facilities are afforded for detaching the same when the occupantof the chair desires to enjoy the comfort of swinging.

To the back and seat of the chair a combined foot and leg rest, K, is connected by pivot-pins p and 1", and bars L, which are jointed at q to extensions of the side bars of the rest K, as shown. The leg and foot rest is held in the position shown in Fig. 1 by a hook and staple, as shown at n, and when this hook is withdrawn from its staple and the occupant desires to occupy a recumbent position, or a slightly-inclined position for his back and a more elevated position for his legs and feet, he can be gratified, as a curved toothed bar, M, is pivoted behind the back, and by having its ratchet-teeth s catch upon a stop-bar, 3, any desired inclination of the back may be obtained. The curved bar moves through a guide-staple, s and it is released from the bars bymeans of a lever, M. When the lever M is adjusted, as shown in Fig. 1, the back can be lowered to a horizontal position, and by depressing thclifting end of the lever the toothed bar will hook upon the stopbar and retain the back securely. The back can be lowered to the extent of one or two, or more, teeth, and retained in that position by holding the lifting end of the lever elevated, as illustrated in the drawings, until the desired position is secured, and then lowering it out of the way.

The covering-cloth or other material P of the chair seat, back, and leg and foot rest is made with a fullness between points P and P, as shown in Fig. 1*, and near the upper end I of the frame of the back it is attached to eccentrically-pivoted head-rest bars Q, said bars being placed between the side bars ofthe seat back, and allowed to turn from the position shown in Fig. 1 in black lines to the position shown in dotted lines-in the same figure, and to the position shown in full lines in Fig. 8.

In order to afford room for padding the cov ering between P and P the bars Q are cut away at Q, as plainly illustrated in Fig. 9.

For operating the bars Q automatically, a cord, R, is attached fast by a hook, t, to a staple of the leg and foot rest, and extended under pulleys t beneath the chair-bottom, along the edge of the chair-back,around a pulley, t fastened to the bars Q, and passed loosely through a staple of one of the bars L,in the manner shown in Figs. 1 and 8. With this construction it willbe seen that when the chair seat,back,and leg and foot rest are inclined to a position like that shown in Fig. 8 the cord R will be drawn upon by the foot and leg rest, and owing to this the bars Q will be made to turn up edgewise,or at right angles to the position they occupy when the chair is in the form shown in Fig. 1. This adjustment of the bars causes thefullness of the covering between P and P, Fig. 1, to be brought into use for the purpose of forming a head-rest.

Instead of using a pulley, t a finishing grooved metal end piece, t may be applied on the side bars of the chair-back, as illustrated in Fig. 10,and,instead of using hingingrod 1 and hooks m, any suitable known construction of hingejoint which can be readily disjointed may be employed for connecting the chair seat and back to each other and to the chair-frame. If the swing adjunct is not furnished with the chair, it is not essential that the hinge be of a kind which can be read ily disjointed.

In Figs. 12, 13, and 14c a swing adjunct for the chair is shown; and it comprises side stand ard portions,S, cap cross-piece S,a verticallyadjustable lifting-bar, S, with guide-lug,guidepins S elbow spring-acting lever S, stoplatch S ,cords S 'S for operating thelever and latching and unlatching it, and ropes S with hooks S for suspending the chair seat, back, and leg and foot rest, all as shown in said Figs. 12, 13, and 14 of the drawings. In connection with this swing adjunct of the chair, suspending staples S are provided on the side bars of the leg and foot rest and on the bars L, as shown. To use this swing adjunct, the cross-bar S is lowered by pulling thecord S, which releases the elbow-lever S The swing-ropes S are hooked to the staples S of the seat, back, and leg and foot rest. The hooks m m n are withdrawn from their fastening positions, and the lever S drawn down under the latchS". By this operation the seat, back, and leg and foot rest are separated from the chair-frame, and the chairframe being rolled out of the way the occupant of the seat can enjoy himself in the swing until he again desires to sit in the chair.

The reconnection of the seat, back, and leg and foot rest with the chairframe is easily accomplished thus: The chair being rolled under the seat in the swing, the cross-bar S of the swing is lowered, so as to rest the seat on the chairframe. Staples m m a are adjusted to their fastening positions, and the swingropes S unhooked from the seat, and the chairframe, with seat, &c., attached, is moved on its rollers to the position desired.

I am aware that casters have been pivoted to the frame of cradles and chairs, and to rockers of such structures, and also connected to a vertically-moving bar by pivoted rods, all in such manner that the rollers or casters can be turned up on their pivot-connections, so as to allow the'rockers to rest upon the ground or floor, and turned down so as to raise the rockers above the floor and leave the cradle or chair supported on casters.

I make no claim on any construction similar to that shown in Letters Patent No. 287, 721, as my casters move or reciprocate straight up and down, and my rockers move upward either bodily with the chair-frame or are elevated at their jointed middle portion or moved downward at said jointed middle portion and upward at their front and rear ends.

I also am aware of Letters Patent granted to Hays, December 17, 1884, and make no claim to a system of levers combined with rockers and rollers, as shown in said patent, as my chair comprises a base bridge-bar, G, jointed rockers, reciprocating or verticallymoving bars F, carrying casters, a reciprocating or vertically-moving standard, D, accommodating lever-rods E, a rolling fulcrum, H, a hand-lever, G, and a stop-bar, I, in connection with a chair-frame, A, and by this combination a chair resting firmly on the floor, a chair resting on rockers, and a chair resting 011 casters can readily be produced.

My construction, mode of operation, and

result, having regard specially to its threefold convertibility, are different from said patent of Hays.

I am also aware that an adjusting ratchettoothed bar pivoted by its rear end to a seat is shown in Letters Patent No. 263,174, and I make no claim to a bar thus applied.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. The combination of the rising and descending reciprocating bars F, casters G, arms E, bar 0, standard D, and means for moving the standard up and down with a chair-frame, A, provided with jointed and pivoted rockers B, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. The combination, with the jointed pivoted rockers, of the bar 0, bars F, guided up and down by the legs of the chair, chair-frame A, and means for operating the bars 0 and F, substantially as and for the purpose described. l

3. Thelever G, rolling fulcrum H, and stopbar I, in combination with the standard D, arms E, reciprocating bars. F, having casters, bar 0, jointed and pivoted rockers B, and chair-frame A, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. The chair-frame A, provided with jointed and pivoted rockers B, and rising and descending reciprocating bars F, having casters G, substantially as and for the purpose described.

5. The arms E, fitted in sockets g of the standard D, fulcrumed on frame-pieces a and connected by slot and pin at f with the bars F, substantially as and for the purpose described.

6. The casters having their shanks passed through round holes in bars F, and provided with enlarged bearing-heads and fastened to the bars F by plates h, having large round holes terminating in narrower slots, substantially as described.

7. The combination of the seat J, back J.

and leg and foot rest K, chair-frame A, cord R, pivoted head-rest bar Q, and folding covering material P, substantially as and for the purpose described.

8. The head-rest bar Q, pivoted eccentrically to the side bars of the back of the chair,

in combination with the covering material 1? and adjusting-cord R, substantially as described.

9. The curved tooth-bar M, hinged by the upper end to the hinged back J of the chair,

bar, all substantially as and for the purpose described.

10. The convertible chair having its seat, back, and foot rest removably fastened in position upon chair-frame A, in combination with the swing adjunct, as described, provided with a descending and rising bar, S springacting lever S, stoplatch S cords S S and ropes S having hooks S substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature 7o in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN HANSUL BATTON.

Witnesses:

SAML. ST RN, Jr., GEO. A. WILKINs. 

